Cypress & Narcissus
by SassySizzleMonster
Summary: Ceria di Angelo is a cheerful girl. Certainly way too cheerful for someone whose entire future is in doubt; there's that whole being the child of Hades thing she has going on, the fact she has a pretty good idea of what 'might' happen in the near future, and that she 'might' be powerless to stop it. Still, the grin on her face means she's baring with it. [OC-Insert; Nico Twin-fic]
1. Chapter 1

Ceria di Angelo and her siblings were standing in the corner of the gymnasium at their school dance when it all began.

Before all this, if you had asked Ceri if she thought gods and monsters of lore were real, she'd happily direct you to her twin brother, Nico. He'd been playing with his Mythomagic cards pretty much since the year began; had this huge collection and everything, all quite impressive.

Now though? It's a bit surprising it hadn't hit her sooner. Ha. _Hit._ Ceri could crack herself up.

Anyways, at this point while she and her siblings stood around mournfully watching the other students dance to . . . well, strange music (she'd been dealing with a lot of strangeness recently), she hadn't really had a clue as to what was going on. They were here in this military academy with only the three of them against the world and she was . . . bored. Bored and sad.

As such, Ceri had been wishing for something exciting to happen.

And then her wish had been granted.

Ever heard of the phrase, _"be careful what you wish for?"_ Yeah. Hm.

"Children," Dr. Thorn, their vice principal who was a strict man with an even sterner mow, interrupted. "I need to speak with you three outside."

The siblings glanced at each other, each of them frowning in confusion. They were all three pretty well behaved given that they were orphans and hadn't a caregiver in—well, she wasn't sure, but it had been a while.

"Uh, sure," Bianca said but it was clear something was wrong. The air was tense and there was something peculiar happening. It was just at the tip of her tongue . . .

They had waited too long to respond, and instead of giving them time to get themselves together, he grabbed Bianca at her collar and pulled. The force was enough to knock her green cap right off her head. Nico sputtered, confused before he too was forced to abandon his cards that then sprawled along the floor. Ceri would have said something—really, she would have, even if Dr. Thorn scared the crap out of her—but she was his next victim in his unnecessary collaring.

When she squawked in outrage and tried to get free, he released a tight growl. That had her freezing. And then the strangest sensation of her body coming to life and yet pausing it's breath as fear and exhilaration peppered her insides.

Her older sister looked stumped, frowning as Dr. Thorn corralled the di Angelo siblings like they were unruly kittens. It had to be serious if the vice principal was willing to lay hands on them. The teacher's here didn't like doing that when they were mad at you for something, they liked to force you into exercise.

But as they left the gymnasium and walked down the dim hallways, the air seemed to clog itself with that feeling that just didn't feel right. Ceri knew something was up in the same way she always knew, yet couldn't prove it. She stared hard at the hand on her collar, feeling more and more that something crazy was about to happen.

Dr. Thorn seemed to twitch, and he looked back for a moment, a sneer darkening his already gray expression. He wrinkled his nose as if he was smelling something bad. Then he got this look, this look that said there were secret things going on in that head of his.

They were just in the main entry hall when Dr. Thorn pushed the three of them away causing them to cry out in pain just as their vice principal made this huge leap backwards. She turned to see where he went when the doors they'd just came through opened in a great burst.

It was a boy with a shock of black hair and dazzling sea green eyes. He was carrying some sort of bat in his hands, his hands reaching out in a placating motion as he slowly approached them.

"It's okay," he said, but her mouth was frozen when she saw right behind him, following her siblings stare. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Ceri wanted to laugh at that. It wasn't him they were worried about.

"My name's Percy," he said in a soft tone. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."

She felt a whammy hit her then. This strange, _strange_ sense as if she'd heard this before. What did the french call it? _Deja vu?_ She'd felt this before. But no, no she hadn't, for obvious reasons as well as confounding ones. It was because it hadn't been her in the first place. She was so consumed by these odd sensations that she hadn't even noticed how Dr. Thorn had advanced on the boy—Percy.

In a show of incredible speed, Percy swung his bat just as he spun to face his opponent, but Dr. Thorn had been quicker and—her mind struggled to understand just what she was seeing. Where had he gone? Dr. Thorn? And Percy was stuck in the wall right next to them now? In pain?

"Yes, Perseus _Jackson._ " It was Dr. Thorn but she couldn't see him and just that thought sent her heart tripping. "I know who you are."

Percy struggled for a moment with something in his shoulder, and then he seemed to make a realization.

A dark shadow befell them as her vice principal materials, somehow looking ghoulish in the soft lighting. He didn't look exactly human, his teeth too white, his eyes too electric. She felt chills sneaking along her back at the thought, but no, he _had_ to be human. It was just nonsense to think otherwise.

"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he told Percy. "I hate middle school dances."

 _WUSSHH!_

From out of nowhere a bolt of some kind hit the wall just beside Bianca's face causing her older sister to yelp. Even Ceri felt shaken as she came to realize just how close it'd been. So when the next orders came, Ceri pressed her lips together and obeyed.

"All three of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."

It's a shame to say, but after that Ceri was just stuck trying to process everything she was hearing and seeing. She couldn't focus on anything, and yet she could see just about every detail of her school as they were boxed forward by the vice principal.

Nico and her shared a look, the two sneaking their hands together as if that would protect them. It did help though, she felt bolstered to know she wasn't alone. She looked at the boy, the one who was not Nico, and wondered about their situation. He seemed to know exactly what was going on from the grim look on his face.

As they made their way to god knows where, Percy seemed to slow down. He closed his eyes and his face pinched like he was thinking _very_ hard.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" Dr. Thorn hissed. "Keep moving!"

Percy opened his eyes and shuffled forward, wincing as he went. "It's my shoulder. It burns." She'd nearly forgotten about his wound. She winced along with him, sympathy pooling in her gut. He had come here to save them, apparently, and yet now they were all in the same situation.

"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!" _Poison_? Suddenly she was lot more worried. He could be lying about how lethal it is. She certainly didn't trust Dr. Thorn to be _truthful_.

Along the way as they headed outside she tried to wrap her head around the possible reasons her vice principal had suddenly gone insane. For what purpose he wanted _them_. It wasn't like the di Angelo's were very special. They were weird kids that didn't even have parents. _Orphans_. It wasn't like they were rich either, although to be honest, Ceri knew next to nothing about their finances. She just knew it'd be useless to use them as hostages.

They were in the forests beside the looming academy when their kidnapper deigned to address them again.

"There is a clearing ahead," Dr. Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

"What ride?" Bianca cut in. She sounded strong. She'd always been the bravest of the three of them, looking after them and making sure they were always okay. Ceri released a soft breath. They would be okay because Bianca was here.

"Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" Nico shouted in outrage, but there was a vulnerable note in there that everyone heard. Ceri bit her own lips to keep from speaking out. The strangest thing was, usually _she_ was the hardest to shut up.

Dr. Thorn growled then. It was a sound that made her want to duck and cower, because a part of her knew that from that sound alone her life would never be the same again. Chills and nerves fluttered into her gut. Had she just been wishing for excitement? Ha!

When they made the clearing—a _cliff_ —she barely heard Thorn say, "Halt." He pushed them the very edge and when Percy stumbled, it was her sister who caught him. Bianca nodded stiffly at him but he didn't seem to catch it.

"Thanks," he murmured instead.

"What _is_ he?" Bianca whispered back. "How do we fight him?"

"I . . . I'm working on it." Ceri was doubtful, even if he had a bat.

"I'm scared," Nico mumbled. Their hands squeezed together, and on his other side she could see he was playing with one of his Mythomagic action figures. She couldn't make out which one.

"It's okay," Ceri said softly, but her voice came out uncertain. As if she was breaking from some sort of script. A script she had no lines in. As a result she felt as if she was intruding on something she shouldn't and—and isn't that strange? It scared her just enough, the fact she felt so unwelcome, that her mouth was screwed tight.

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!"

They turned.

Ceri found it increasingly uncomfortable to gaze at his eyes to which she was about to look away from when he pulled something from under his coat. She stiffened for a moment but it was a black rectangular box. He pressed something on it and started to speak, "The package—it is ready to deliver."

A worrying sentiment.

Percy gave a quick glance behind them, causing her to wonder what was so special about the darkness beyond the cliff.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. _Jump!_ There is the sea. Save yourself."

"What did he call you?" Bianca whispered.

"I'll explain later," he muttered back.

"You do have a plan, right?"

Percy seemed to cringe a bit. It wasn't a cheering expression. He seemed to think hard for a moment, it showing all over his face. She thought he might need a better poker face if he was going to make a play with someone like Thorn, but she wasn't going to stop him from trying whatever it was.

"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said. Yeah, never mind. Percy had dumb ideas if that's what he'd been thinking. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"

Percy focused on the scenery behind Thorn instead of replying.

"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise you would already be dead."

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded to know. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Ceri, Nico and I . . ." Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."

"Aww," Dr. Thorn cooed. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

"Luke," Percy murmured, and then stronger, "You work for Luke."

Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when he heard the name. Whoever this was, he didn't like him. So not his leader, Ceri thought.

"You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson. I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."

"The General?" Percy asked, but his inflection was off. He seemed to be imitating Dr. Thorn's French accent on accident. "I mean . . . who's the General?" he corrected himself.

Thorn looked toward the horizon, as if the answers lied there. And apparently they did. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."

They turned and saw a light off in the distance, just as they heard the increasing roar of an aircraft. Such strange things. Like going into D.C. and discovering things had been _changed_.

"Where are you taking us?" Nico bravely wondered aloud. She could feel more than hear the nerves he felt. Her hand tightened on his and she wondered if he was just as perplexed and terrified.

"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."

"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—"

"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well . . . there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."

"The Great what?" Percy asked. She wanted to know, too. She was growing increasingly confused, and yet there was this anticipation of something right inside of her chest at the word _half-blood_. It was making it harder to breath. It was on the tip of her tongue!

"The stirring of monsters." Something about that made Thorn smile, his grin the classic look of a villain about to eat your heart out. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all—the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"

"Okay," Bianca whisper hissed to Percy at the end the madman's speech. "He's completely nuts."

"We have to jump off the cliff," Percy replied, as if this was the most logical next step. "Into the sea."

"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too."

The freakiest part to Ceri was that she was inclined to agree with Percy. And _why_ would that be? It wasn't like he'd done anything subst—

A blur shot out and hit Percy. On instinct she pressed herself closer to her brother so she wouldn't fall off the edge. Mostly what she ended up doing was this—Ceri tumbled terribly, the rest of the world a blur of activity of shouts and cries and "For _Zeus!"_ —All of that and more could be heard as she fell over her brother in her haste for safety, tripping over his and her feet. Mere moments later, her head landed on something hard and sharp before further chaos ensued.

* * *

She dreamed she was just your average American woman living in the middle of the country with no real talent, and no real worth.

Ah, that wasn't exactly right. She'd had some worth at the end of her short life.

She'd been a . . . how ironic, she'd been a _hero_. She'd saved countless lives in a fire at a school she'd been interning at. Later, she died in the hospital for having inhaled too much smoke; her lungs had burnt to a crisp from within her while she had struggled to her very last, very _painful_ breath.

* * *

Ceri's head hurt. Or no. Was it Sophie who hurt? _Sophie, who?_

She blinked her eyes open as she struggled to reconcile two seemingly different souls that were now roiling in her body like two separate beings fighting for head space . . . But wait. They weren't two _different_ souls. They were the same one. Sophie was now Ceri, but—what in the hell?

"Eat this," someone said and pressed something into her hands. It was a square treat, yellow, making her think of lemons.

Ceri, not knowing what to do but obey, brought whatever it was to her lips and tasted—a well of comfort hit her, and suddenly the ringing in her ears, the fogging of her brain, and even the sharp pain at the back of her skull slowly dispersed. She tasted her mother's _torta caprese,_ the soft chocolate cake of her childhood and the secondary hit of gelato that accompanied it.

Ceri thought she'd never get to taste it again. Was surprised it was some lemon cake giving it to her. Except, she wasn't _reall_ _y_ surprised.

Instead, her mind processed the world shattering revelations going through her at a swift speed that _did_ freak her out. It was only thanks to the treat she ate that she didn't immediately pass out again. Or maybe the fact that in her chest was that anticipation, and then the mortification that she'd managed to the _knock herself out!_

In front of Percy Jackson no less!

 _Gasp!_

Oh god—no wait, _plural, gods_. She was in the Percy Jackson world! And she wasn't supposed to be here! Ceri was suddenly aware of why it had felt so wrong to speak earlier, _she wasn't supposed to be here!_

"Is that better? You look a little shaken up." Ceri looked up almost desperately, hoping to see a familiar face. Instead it was some girl she didn't even know. Which huntress was this? It couldn't be Zoë, she didn't appear to have a stick up her butt.

She looked around her surroundings, she was in a tent on a bedroll on the ground. Ah.

"Uh, yeah," she gave the stranger a shaky smile. "Where is my brother and sister?"

The girl smiled back. "Bianca is helping our sisters with packing. You've been out for quite a while, dawn is about to break."

Ceri frowned. Something about how she said _our_ sisters. And missed mentioning her brother. "And Nico?"

The girl pinched her lips together in a show of quiet distaste. "He's with the other boys."

Ah. She knew what was happening now. Somehow.

And this predicament she was now in, the whole " _I'm in a storybook for kids,_ " thing going on, well it was bound to be an exciting one.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello~! This is just the kick off, a large percent of this chapter is pretty much cannon so I doubt it was the funnest thing to read, but I didn't want to start this OC-Insert off when she was a baby and spend like twenty chapters wading through them to get to plot. Thus, most of the dialogue in this chapter is predominantly ripped from the original book where this all happens, _The Titan's Curse_. A necessary evil, but everything else is written by me. c:

Some things to understand about the fic:

So the title is based on the flowers of Hades which is the cypress tree and the narcissus flower (the daffodil, narcissus is its unfortunate scientific name based on the legend of narcissus). Anywho, like a lot of flowers and mythology linked to things, cypress and daffodil's have some meaning's in the "language of _flora_ ".

Cypress: death, despair, mourning, and sorrow. The wood from this tree is often used to make coffin's and people used to be buried beneath them in the way olden days. Kinda obvious why it's one of Hades symbols.

Daffodil (narcissus): grave flower, a flower of rebirth, death, and new beginnings. Often associated with luck regarding a bountiful harvest and future prosperity. It's good luck, happiness, the herald of spring, but also egotism and narcissism. It's also a symbol of future misfortune in some cases. It's message is thus, " _Nothing bad will last forever, because spring is just around the corner._ "

Ceri's name is pronounced the Italian way, so no "seri" or "seria"; it's pronounced as "cheri" or "cheria" if that helps.

Also drew the cover muhself, hope you like it! :D


	2. Chapter 2

Ceri sat beside her brother and tried not to stare daggers at her sister.

She felt betrayed, her mind replaying all over and over again what would happen to Bianca because of her selfishness and then later, her stupidity in the Junkyard of the Gods.

"Lady Artemis said I can come visit sometimes," Bianca was saying, but Ceri knew for a fact that wouldn't be happening. In her past life she'd been with Percy in thinking she was such a selfish person, so aggravated by her backwards and _irritating_ logic.

She recalled the passage because Sophie had been neurotic in remembering details from her favorite books and she liked to memorize things in completion, a useless hobby for a useless person. Now it had a use, Ceri supposed. Seeing as she was _here_ of all places. But that was besides the point. The point being that no matter what her sister told her, her reasons for choosing the Hunt over them, Ceri knew the truth.

Bianca had given in to the thought of a _new_ family, of no responsibilities save for the ones she promised the goddess of maidens. Forgetting the fact she hadn't even waited to see how nice Camp Half-Blood was, or that she already had a family!

Which was stupid! Now her sister was eternally twelve if she even _lived_ past the events of her book death!

 _You don't_ need _a new family, you have_ us! She wanted to slap that into her sister's face, which was so unlike her. Ceri was the gentle, nice one in their family. The happy go lucky one that never had a bad word for anybody save for, apparently, _selfish people_!

"What about us?" Nico asked, his face distressed.

"Yeah," Ceri echoed glumly, "what _about_ us?" For a moment Bianca's face reddened.

"Well Nico's a boy so . . . " her sister trailed off, her eyes falling on Ceri. What wasn't added was, _But Ceri is a girl, so she can join, too._ Yeah, right. It'd be the end of the world before she'd even ever consider abandoning her brother. And in an apocalyptic situation she'd rather cease to exist before the thought entered her mind.

She could tell Bianca wanted her to join her, but what kind of life was living forever with a bunch of girls, huh? Forever ten? No boys? No _Nico_? Heh, no thank you, she had better things to do.

"I'm not going to join your little girl's club, Bianca."

Ceri stood then and turned her back on her sister as a bright light fell over their surroundings. She shielded her eyes, knowing who it was and glad for the distraction. Apollo was just the thing she needed. That guy was a ball of sunshine. Almost even literally.

When the light died down and she noticed Percy and the gang were now looking in Apollo's direction she turned and caught sight of his infamous red Maserati Spyder. The car Percy wanted. Ceri supposed it looked good, glowing with the heat it took to land it.

"Little sister!" he called, his voice voice, his tone lovely.

She looked up to see the god, and had to agree with his future self what a travesty it was that he was shucked into the body of an acne pocked mortal teenager. Golden tumbling hair, sun-kissed in all ways with a lean runner's body. He wasn't her type, but she could see the appeal. She knew Will would look a lot like him, _lucky Nico_.

Ceri walked closer to Percy and Thalia to hear what the two deities were saying. Not that she needed to hear it, she knew the short of what would be said.

"Wow," Thalia said as Ceri walked in hearing distance. "Apollo is hot."

"He's the sun god," Percy replied.

"That's not what I meant." Ceri snickered at that, the girls catching eyes and nodding.

"What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!" Apollo whined as he headed closer to them.

He probably wouldn't say he did, but that's what it sounded like to her. Ceri smiled at the thought. So cute, she couldn't wait for him to become mortal and go through his idea of hell.

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

Ceri laughed at that, reminded of her own twin. Nico was older by a few minutes, too, and he lorded it over her whenever it suited him. Not that it suited him very often, but . . . she tried to remember the last time he'd done it and failed to. It had to be before the casino because everything before that was nearly swamped with mist. Agh, it was aggravating. And strange.

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"

Artemis grit her teeth and seemed to swallow whatever words she'd been about to spew. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned.

It occurred to her then that if Ceri said something, maybe none of this would need to happen. Bianca wouldn't have to die, and Artemis would never have to get kidnapped alongside Annabeth. Ceri looked around for the blonde kid of Athena, but she only saw Hunters and everyone else that was supposed to be here.

Maybe they could all just head over to San Francisco together and take out Atlas before. Maybe even Zoë didn't need to become stars.

" _Green grass breaks through snow._

 _Artemis pleads for my help._

 _I am so cool._ "

Apollo beamed, proud of himself and awaited his applause. Ceri resisted the temptation to clap, just to see his reaction. But she didn't want to draw too much attention to herself.

"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

Ceri had never really tempered how mouthy she could get, "You're looking for, _I am so awesome._ "

The sun god swiveled to look at her, his expression alight. She hoped he wouldn't smite her for stealing his thunder. Thankfully she wasn't in the first book and she wasn't Percy.

To be on the safe side, she added, "And it's true! You're awesome, Lord Apollo!" She hoped no one would mind the fact that she apparently just found out about this world of gods and half-bloods. That she shouldn't know a damn thing about it.

"You, my dear, have superior taste." Apollo smiled at her.

She hoped he wouldn't do that one ability thing he had where he peered into someone's soul and forecast things for them. He'd complained about his lack of that ability often enough in the first book of the Apollo Trial's that she really didn't want him looking at hers.

Belatedly, Ceri realized she should have stayed in the shadows, like a real child of Hades would.

Artemis cleared her throat.

"Ah, yes! Transportation for the Hunters, you say? Good timing. I was just about ready to roll."

"These demigods will also need a ride," Artemis said, waving her hand towards their group. "Some of Chiron's campers."

"No problem!" Apollo checked them out. "Let's see . . . Thalia, right? I've heard all about you."

Thalia's cheeks reddened. "Hi, Lord Apollo."

"Zeus's girl, yes? Makes you my half sister. Used to be a tree, didn't you? Glad you're back. I hate it when pretty girls turn into trees. Man, I remember one time—"

"Brother," Artemis said. "You should get going."

"Oh, right." Then he looked at Percy, his eyes narrowing. "Percy Jackson?"

"Yeah. I mean . . . yes, sir."

Ceri knew exactly what he was thinking as Apollo's gaze stayed on him a few moments too long. Heck, she knew what he'd been thinking since he was Bianca's age. It was a strange thought. She probably knew more than Apollo did about the future because she'd read books from Percy's perspective. He'd admitted it himself that even he, the god of prophecy, couldn't see beyond the words the oracle spewed.

"Well!" he said at the breadth of the last second. "We'd better load up, huh? Ride only goes one way—west. And if you miss it, you miss it."

"Cool car," Nico said coming up beside Ceri.

"Thanks, kid," Apollo replied.

"But how will we all fit?" Nico and Ceri asked at the same time.

She grinned. Man, memorizing pages of dialogue was going to be a blast if she did that all the time. Nico didn't seem to notice though. Then again, of course he wouldn't.

As thick as thieves, Nico and Ceri had been completing each other's sentences long before they even knew how to speak. They'd had their own secret language when they were real little and couldn't really speak Italian, only Bianca had really understood them. Speaking at the same time just happened when either of them were unaware.

 _Man, this is going to be so much fun_ , she thought. They were the children of Hades, so this could get creepy for some real fast, and just that thought was hilarious to her.

"Oh," Apollo glanced at his car and frowned. "Well, yeah. I hate to change out of sports-car mode, but I suppose . . ."

He fished out his car keys and beeped a button on it. _Chirp, chirp,_ it went.

In a matter of bright moments the Maserati Spyder became an elongated shuttle bus. Ceri blinked in awe. She knew what would happen, but seeing was believing, she supposed. She pinched her arm as she wondered if she was in one of those future movies with the great special effects Sophie had watched. But that wasn't the case because it was clearly real.

"Right," Apollo said. "Everybody in."

Ceri didn't need to be told twice.

There was something a bit boring about knowing what would be said in conversations that haven't passed yet. Maybe she could have dredged up a bit of humor at seeing Apollo get told off by his sister for trying to hit on her Hunters, but . . . well she'd already laughed at it a few times before in her re-reading.

When they were all piled in, Bianca in the back with the Hunters and Nico and her sitting up front with the god and their fellow half-bloods, she wondered if she should stop Thalia from getting into the driver's seat.

But . . . well, even if she'd read it all before, it wasn't like she didn't want to _see_ it, too.

Nico was bouncing in their seat, a big 'ole grin on his face as he cried, "This is so cool!"

Ceri smiled at his enthusiasm.

"Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?" he asked.

"Downsizing," Apollo replied. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo laughed softly and reached out to ruffle her brother's hair. A part of Ceri wanted to cut in and inform them all that Helios had faded and was technically as dead as a god could be, so it was just Apollo manning the sun now, but how the hell— _Hades_ —would _she_ know that?

"That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun . . . er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

"No," Nico said.

"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?"

"No. Too young."

"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.

"Mm, no," Apollo replied. "Too furry." Moments later he focused on Thalia.

"Daughter of Zeus! Lord of the sky. Perfect."

"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks."

"C'mon," Apollo pressured. "How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."

Ceri decided to tune them all out, knowing she needed to think on a way to save her sister.

She tried to recall the prophecy concerning this particular quest, but for some reason it eluded her. Instead, she recalled Annabeth's words to Percy in the first book, _every time heroes learn the future, they try to change it, and it never works._ Every book after that was just a repeat of that notion, knowing that prophecy's couldn't be changed and it all happened for a reason.

She thought of the reason Bianca had needed to die, and she thought perhaps it was for Hazel's sake. Hazel, being one of the seven, was _incredibly_ important. So if it was Bianca's destiny to die, then it was Nico's destiny to steal Hazel from death.

One sister for another.

* * *

Crash landing at camp had been real fun. So much fun Nico had to pry her from her seat, in fact. Not that she was latched onto the seat for dear life or anything. No, the upholstery was just so nice, y'know?

Percy, the good boy he was, walked beside her and asked if she was okay.

"I'm surprised we're alive," she told him. He laughed, himself looking just a bit shaken.

As Nico noted the lava on a climbing wall, and events proceeded as in the books, Ceri took the time to overlook the camp. It was as described except there were a few added details one couldn't really get down in a written description. It made her wonder if she was in an exact replica of the story, or if this was some sort of alternate universe. _She_ was here, which was disconcerting, so she couldn't exactly say everything would be the same. Heck, maybe she wouldn't have to do anything and Bianca would live. Like a butterfly effect.

She didn't have much faith in that though, seeing as Bianca had still chosen to abandon her and Nico to the Hunters.

Which, yes, she was still moody about. Didn't mean she would watch her sister kill herself. Then again she probably wouldn't be allowed to leave with everybody when they left on the Atlas quest. _Too young._ Ugh. Technically, she would be in her eighties by now if she'd never walked into that hotel. Not that she remembered any of those years. Which was another reason she didn't want to be a Hunter. Be ten for eternity or until death in battle? No thanks.

As said Huntresses started to depart, Bianca leaned in between Nico and her and whispered something. Ceri being too caught up in her thoughts didn't hear, but Nico did. His face grew dark as Bianca peeled from them and walked off with her new _sisters._ Ugh.

"Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon," Apollo told Percy in parting.

"What do you mean?"

Apollo didn't reply, he hopped in his bus and called, "Later, Thalia, and, uh, be good!"

Then the sun god was gone and the world seemed to dim a bit. At least to her. Everyone else looked to be glad that he left, although Percy just looked confused. Confused and like he was bracing himself for something. She supposed he _had_ to brace for all those prophecies Percy was in.

"Who's Chiron?" Nico asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"Our activities director," Percy replied. "He's . . . well, you'll see." _A centaur_ , Ceri thought.

"If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. Let's go."

"Agreed," Ceri said, crossing her arms.

"You mean you aren't going to join them?" Percy asked, looking at her. Maybe he'd been worried about her wanting to leave Nico, too. In the books he'd felt personally responsible for Bianca and Nico, she guessed those feelings now applied to her as well.

"Why would I want to be a little girl forever? And besides, I don't need a new family, I have Nico. Had Bianca, too, but she's stupid." Ceri looked up at Percy, focused on him. "You're not gonna let Bianca steal anything are you? You have to tell her over and over again, okay? It's not okay to steal things. Especially from junkyards. Remember, okay?"

She'd tell Bianca that, too. Hoped it'd be a strange enough request that she'd have to remember. Percy would have to remember, too. Aphrodite warned him, Ceri warned him, and even Zoë would.

Ceri wondered if it would be wise to tell them all what would happen, but the questions she'd get asked were a bit worrying. What could she say? _See, I'm pretty sure I was a girl named Sophie once upon a time that died due to a school fire, and there were these books, you see._ Would it be too outlandish?

Oh God— _gods._ What would happen to her if the gods found out? Would she ruin everything? Would the Titans win if she stepped on a butterfly? She decided in that moment to use her knowledge sparingly, unwilling to risk the endgame of a non-apocalyptic world where the Titan's ruled. Specifically because this world was hers, too.

"Uh, okay," Percy said slowly. It was a good thing he thought she was weird. He'd have to remember her in time to save Bianca. Anxiety peppered her insides. Just because she was mad at her didn't mean she wasn't afraid of what would happen. To never see her big sister again . . .

"Did that hit to your head screw with your brain?" Nico asked. "Or was it the bus crashing?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it? Either way my head is screwed."

The two of them laughed. Percy just looked confused.

They all entered the Big House in a streamlined fashion until they were all inside. All she could really note was that it was home-y. It smelled really good, like hot chocolate and felt like the warm fuzziness before Christmas. She breathed it in and her mouth watered.

She spotted two men playing some card game at a table. Mr. D and Chiron. She could guess which was which by the one with a blanket over where his legs were supposed to be. And uh, Mr. D was pretty flashy wearing a strange jumpsuit and purple running shoes. It wasn't a good look, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

Chiron smiled when he noticed them. "Percy! Thalia! Ah, and these two must be—"

"Nico and Ceri di Angelo," Percy said. "Both of them are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief. "You succeeded, then."

"Well . . ." The centaur's smile dripped from his face.

"What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Mr. D said in a droll tone. "Not another one lost."

"What do you mean? Who else is lost?" Thalia asked just as Grover ran into the room in a huff of breath.

He seemed happy, but he didn't look in the best of shape with his black eye and the scratches along his cheek. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." The centaur looked at Nico and Ceri. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friends to the den and show them our orientation film."

This Ceri wanted to see. She knew Apollo directed it, and who wouldn't want to see the revolutionary camera work of a god?

"But . . . Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"

"It's PG-13," Grover assured them.

"Bianca isn't in charge of us anymore." Ceri told her twin as they stepped out and followed the half-goat.

"But Ceri—"

In a huff, she switched to Italian. " _Bianca is with the Hunters now, which means we're on our own no matter what she says. Which is well and good for her, but that doesn't mean we have to listen to her anymore._ "

Nico looked sad at that. Maybe she was being a bit harsh in the way she was telling him, but she was being honest. Still, there might've been a gentler way to put it.

Thankfully Apollo's direction of the orientation film cured his frown and certainly turned it upside down. Ceri was cracking up the entire time, not even sure what she was supposed to be learning from it. She wondered why Apollo didn't do any retakes during the military-esque march along the lake. She was glad he didn't, because his face in the sand was priceless.

By the time they were done and heading back towards the parlor, Chiron was just getting out of his chair. Ceri's mouth popped open in a gape. Seeing really was believing.

"SO COOL!" Nico shouted, his face alight as he held his hands out to Chiron. "You're . . . you're a centaur!"

Chiron's smile looked a tad nervous as he regarded the two children. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" Nico glanced at Dionysus and did a double take. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Mr. D did not like that one bit. He turned his scathing eyes from Percy who he just looked like he was about to kill and looked at her brother. She knew he was going to be fine, but Ceri still worried the 'wine dude' would smite her twin.

"The wine dude?" he echoed aloud, looking at her brother like he was an ant doing tricks.

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine."

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"

Ceri slapped her hand to her face. Both of her siblings were idiots. Did that make her one by proxy?

"Ah." Mr. D said, perplexed. "Well, that's . . . gratifying."

"Percy," Chiron said in a rush, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag?" Percy asked. "But we don't have enough—"

"It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."

"Yeah," Thalia mumbled not so quietly. "I bet it's real friendly."

Chiron jerked his head in Mr. D's direction, who was still frowning at Nico. Once her brother got talking about Mythomagic, he didn't stop so the god of wine just seemed taken aback while her brother rambled on. He seemed to be too caught off guard to remember that Percy had just been telling the god off. "Run along now."

"Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, Percy."

She supposed that left her to make sure Nico didn't offend Dionysus enough to turn him into a chipmunk.


	3. Chapter 3

Not for the first time, Ceri wondered why Hades didn't have a cabin in the first place.

It's like everyone pointedly ignored where they'd all end up when they died. Well, maybe not satyrs and maybe not centaurs (she didn't know where they went). She recalled Grover saying that when satyr's died they got reborn into plants and stuff. Parts of nature. And then there were the different variants of the afterlife. Like Magnus Chase going to Valhalla.

It didn't really matter though, she'd died and she'd been reborn here so . . . so she couldn't really say she knew what happened after death either. It was a mixed bag, she guessed.

But still, everyone here had the assumptions they'd end up in the Underworld. You'd think they'd want to appease the Lord of the Dead before that, you know? If they went so far to make Hera a cabin even though she'd never even have half-bloods, it'd make sense to make him one, too.

Why was she thinking of this, though?

It might be because the Stoll brothers were annoying her and she wanted to do as Meg had and poke one—or both—in the eyes. It started when they were introduced.

"Ceri?" one of them had questioned when she'd told them her name. "Sounds like Cherry."

"Does Cherry like cherries?"

She wanted to punch them. They'd only continued to refer to her as a fruit. She could hear the difference.

Now, again, Ceri was supposed to be the nice and kind one. Not so when she was stressed, apparently.

It might be because while Bianca and the Hunters were joking and laughing at the Artemis table, she and Nico had to sit at the Hermes table and listen to the brother's coax _her_ brother to gamble. She wondered if she had it better than Percy and Thalia, who both sat alone at their father's tables. Then she remembered how cute it was when Nico had a "doctor's note" so he didn't have to sit alone at the Hades table so he could dine with Will.

They'd have to make an addendum, _no children of Hades should sit at their table period, as the dead crawl out when they do and it's mildly disturbing for the other campers_.

Anyways, it was annoying. Bianca was having fun without them and Ceri wasn't ashamed to admit she felt jealous. Not of Bianca, of course, but of the Huntresses who got to be with her. It should be _her_ and Bianca, not them.

At least the cups they drank from were never empty. She downed her hot chocolate like it was whiskey, just barely keeping herself from dumping the hot liquid all over Travis and Connor Stoll. It wouldn't be very nice, and she didn't want to make any enemies first thing while she was here.

Just being Hades kid would get her into a lot of trouble.

"This is a bit boring," Nico told the brothers when they laid out the rules for poker. Ceri smirked, proud of her twin. "Where's the fun in this?"

"The stakes!" Travis insisted.

"Usually you bet things, like money and drachmas." Connor added.

"We don't have any money," Nico said with a frown. "We're orphans."

Technically speaking, as the children of Hades, they could potentially become very rich. Not that she was going to mention that, of course. Still, she was having a hard time keeping it to herself. She'd never been really good with secrets, even important ones.

She wondered when she'd cave and tell Nico who they were. She hoped she could keep it to herself long enough . . . ugh he'd be so upset with her though. What if he didn't consider her his sister anymore if (when) she explained everything in detail? A large part of her knew that wouldn't matter to _her_ Nico, but the insecure, very new side of her that belonged to Sophie questioned it.

What if, when he looked at her, he saw a stranger?

* * *

Ceri wasn't super excited to play capture the flag with the Hunters.

The air around them was tense and since she knew how it'd end in their victory, she didn't see the fun in it. Heck, even _they_ didn't want to play. They wanted to go out and help Artemis now that Zoë had her dream last night. But Chiron was in charge of them all—apparently even the Hunters—and they weren't allowed to go. Not until after the match and the Spirit of Delphi came out to party with them.

That got her thinking though, what if she could change some aspects of the future. If she could get Percy to score the win for Camp Half-Blood, she could potentially change other things as well. Maybe. Small details.

Was it okay for her to play with fate? Most likely not. But Ceri was impulsive by nature so she thought, _let's give it a shot_. If it came to bite her in the butt later, it bit her in the butt later. Or as the Japanese said, _shouganai_. It can't be helped.

When it came time for the game, she had a shaky plan at best. Well, it wasn't a plan, per se. She just wanted to see if she could hide in the shadows long enough to get the drop on Zoë before _she_ got the drop on her brother and the Stoll's.

She remembered that Zoë had gotten to the flag and hadn't had any obstacles getting away from the defending team before she reached the other side. Percy had seen an opening and made a jump at it. Which in turn pissed Thalia off when they lost. Ceri wondered if Percy and Thalia needed to have a fight before Delphi came to deliver her prophecy. She hoped not.

Ceri felt uncomfortable in the armor her fellow campers set her up in. It was a bit heavy and definitely didn't fit right. Looking at Nico, she blushed in realization that she probably looked just as childish as he did in his armor. The both of them looked ridiculous with how it seemed to swallow them whole, the plates _way_ too big, and the helm nearly falling off. At least she'd opted out of the sword he kept struggling to lift. She'd gone with a dagger instead, not looking to really use it, save for the butt of it.

"Isn't this awesome?" Nico said with a grin. He looked so happy just to be standing there, experiencing these things for the first time that Ceri resented her foreknowledge. If she hadn't hit her head she'd be just as lost and just as excited, maybe even more so. Games like this used to be her bread and butter. But the mist over _Ceri's_ memories for some reason didn't apply to Sophie's, giving her these weird reactions even she found strange.

She was still technically the same person, had the same soul and everything except . . . not. She worried her brother would notice, and hoped he'd chalk it up to her still being glum about their sister's decision.

When she didn't reply, Nico started to badger Percy like an excited puppy.

"Do we get to kill the other team?" Nico asked, reminding her that maybe some things were just innate to the children of gods.

"Well . . . no."

"But the Hunters are immortal, right?"

"That's only if they don't fall in battle. Besides—"

"It would be awesome if we just, like, resurrected as soon as we were killed, so we could keep fighting, and—" _Ha._

"Nico, this is serious. Real swords. These can hurt."

Her brother deflated at the truth. Ceri laughed at his forlorn face before she turned to the son of the sea god.

"You sound like a mother, Mama Percy," she said with a mark of mischief in her voice. Percy's face reddened, causing her to laugh more. It was fun knowing exactly what he was thinking in specific situations.

"No I don't," he mumbled. "Anyway, just follow the team. Stay out of Zoë's way. We'll have a blast."

Then came Chiron's thundering hooves.

"Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team—Camp Half-Blood—shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis—red team—shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"

"Sweet," she heard Nico whispering to Percy. "What kind of magic items? Do I get one?"

Percy opened his mouth to respond when Thalia called, "Blue team! Follow me!" He looked a bit relieved to say the least.

Their team broke into a raucous cheer before they followed after the girl in punk.

They set the flag at the top of Zeus's Fist. It wasn't a statue or anything, just a pile of boulders, really. Percy once referred to it as the Poop Pile. She had to admit that's exactly what it looked like when seen from the side. Still, it was impressive in that it was at the very least twenty feet high, and difficult to climb.

The Stoll Brother's, Nico and then her were set to guard the base. She wasn't looking forward to Zoë shooting her arrows at them. A part of her was paranoid one of them would kill her and she wasn't all that excited about death. A daughter of Hades she may be, but that didn't mean she was immune to her own fears of the inevitable end.

After Thalia and Percy had their small little tiff and half of their team departed, Percy took to climbing up the mounds of rocks. Nico tried climbing up after him shortly after, but she stood by the Stoll brother's, waiting for the moment Percy made his break. She'd have to keep her eyes open for Zoë.

Percy looked down at Charles Beckendorf who she hadn't really noted until then. He was as described in the books, dark skinned and muscular in the way that most demigods seemed to share after they'd been at camp a while. He was quite handsome. Actually she didn't think she'd actually seen one ugly person yet. Clearly the children of the gods were blessed on that front.

"Can you guys hold the fort?" Percy asked.

Beckendorf snorted. "Of course."

"I'm going in."

Then Percy was gone and Ceri was wondering if she could step into the boulder's shadows and meld herself with it. She should be able to, but she had no training. She toed the line of a shadow and concentrated on becoming one with it. When nothing happened, she sighed and looked up in time to see just the girl she was waiting for aim her bow for one of the Stoll's.

"Watch out!" she cried, and was relieved when the boys turned and barely swiveled from the girls shot. Nico was grinning, holding up his sword when Zoë, swift as lightning, slammed her fist into Travis Stoll's face and quickly made her way up the boulder's. Ceri pressed her hands against the rocks, willing for some sort of power to come flowing through her.

Ceri narrowed her eyes, watching as Zoë nearly reached the flag. It wasn't even a serious game, but she felt her stomach drop the same moment Ceri felt a strange twinge in her gut. Instead of seeing Zoë triumph, she saw the rocks beneath her feet crumble. She tripped, her hands catching a snag in a bolder in time for her not to drop.

Ceri's eyes widened, knowing that somehow _she'd_ done that but was confused on exactly how. Part of her wanted to believe it was coincidental, but the larger part reasoned that it hadn't happened in the books.

The Huntress glanced at the ground in confusion, but seemed to toss the oddity aside and focus back on the flag.

But good 'ole Beckendorf was there having raced up there right after her, his fists closing around her ankle as he dragged her down and they heard Thalia shouting something in the background. Zoë kicked mercilessly at Beckendorf's head, growling in fury when he simply grit hit teeth and kept his grip tight on her.

She readied her bow and arrow then, most likely with fart arrows seeing as that was probably the least lethal offense they had.

They never got to find out.

Percy came dashing in with the flag, an expression of intensity and exhilaration on his handsome face, blocking out and seamlessly dodging the onslaught of the attacking Hunters in pursuit of him. Nico and the Stoll brothers cheered him on, seeing he was nearly there.

Ceri heard a grunt of pain and turned back to see Beckendorf on the ground, Zoë already racing back down the boulders with their flag in hand.

She went zig-zagging between the Stoll's and Nico when they tried reaching for her or attacking. She was _quick_. Ceri almost couldn't believe her eyes, and neither, apparently, could Percy. He slowed for a split second before he reinvigorated his legs and pumped himself towards the waters, probably looking for a power boost.

"Percy she's going to run into you!" Ceri shouted before he made it to the waters.

Percy heard her before the Huntress with the flag could reach him to slow him down. He dodged her in time that they ran past each other to Zoë's chagrin. Ceri was already running towards _him_ , fishing out a water bottle that was filled with lake water she'd packed just in case. She wondered if it would even work as she uncapped it and splashed it over him as their paths crossed.

And then it was just a game of speed.

Moment's later they all heard Chiron shout, surprise evident in his voice, "Camp Half-Blood wins!"

She burst into laughter at that, elation causing her to bounce on her heels.

"WHAT!?" A Hunter yelled.

The whole of the campers burst into loud cheering. The Aphrodite cabin was the loudest, they _really_ didn't like the Hunters, so it made sense. They were shouting out, "Love always wins!" as well as other sappy things while the Hunters gaped and looked like they were short circuiting.

"This makes no sense," another of the Hunters said.

"But we _always_ win," cried a third.

"Why is this surprising?" Nico wondered aloud with a big grin. Ceri burst into further laughter, her body rocking with humor. She savored her sister's disappointment even as it hurt her, as petty as it was, and relished in her brothers look of joy.

Travis Stoll chuckled, mischief in his eyes as he informed Nico that this was the first win they'd had in _years_. That before today, the Hunters winning streak had made it to fifty-five, and that _they'd_ managed to break it.

Thalia looked perplexed, upset and happy all at the same time. She looked ready to ram in on Percy for taking the risk, but since it'd paid off, she couldn't really say anything. Percy just looked worn and pleased, riding on the high of victory.

He walked towards her, gratitude in his eyes.

"Thanks for earlier, Ceri."

"Anytime, Mama Percy."

His smile turned into a frown. "Please don't call me that."

"Then Seaweed Brain?" she said it teasingly, but his face drew in.

It was the wrong thing to say. She'd forgotten Annabeth was missing.

"You'll find her, Percy." She was ninety-nine percent sure of it. The one percent was the off chance things didn't go as predicted.

"I can't until we get a quest," he said, his face a storm. It was clear he really cared about his friend. Well, Annabeth would turn into more than a friend, but for now friend.

Thalia came in then with a small grin on her face, apparently having decided to choose happiness over anger at Percy. "I guess the risk paid off."

Percy smiled, looking tired. "Only thanks to Ceri." Which was actually very true.

Had she not been here, they'd have lost. It was a cheering thought as much as it was terrifying. They could lose because of her just as much as win. When the high of the win slipped from her, she thought for a moment that she wanted a do-over, just in case this screwed everything up. _Oh, gods,_ she prayed. _Please don't let this come bite me in the butt_.

"Oh right, the water. How did you know it would work?" Thalia asked.

"He's the son of Poseidon," Ceri said with a shrug. "It was a gamble."

"So you _do_ like to gamble," Connor cried, overhearing them.

"Not with cards! The stakes aren't high enough!" It was meant as a joke but it was seconds later she realized it was the truth. Was this her fatal flaw? She knew every hero had one. Would it prove to be everyone's end if she gambled with their lives? She sure hoped not.

The Stoll's laughed.

And then laughter seized, Percy's and a few others stare in some direction caused her to look up to see a figure making it's way down through the forest. She was able to sigh in relief. Thank the gods for small mercies. The oracle had come.

* * *

 _Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,_

 _One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

 _The bane of Olympus shows the trail,_

 _Campers and Hunters combined prevail,_

 _The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

 _And one shall perish by a parent's hand._

* * *

It rattled around in her head as she tossed and turned later that night.

The moment they'd received the prophecy, Zoë and the Hunters had wanted to depart immediately, but they'd been forced to stay for a moment to prepare and decide who was all going. That came in the form of some of the more older campers and the Hunters meeting for a bit. She wasn't invited, but she could guess how it'd gone down. They wanted to ignore the fact the prophecy included campers, and in their sexism towards men, they'd refuse to bring Percy along. Not that that would matter, seeing as he'd go along anyways.

With the help of Blackjack and the unseen puppeteering of Aphrodite, of course.

Ceri had managed to catch her sister before they'd left for the meeting, but she wasn't sure if her words had gotten through.

"Don't steal things that don't belong to you!" Ceri had told her, and Bianca just seemed to laugh at the oddity of her littler sister warning her not to commit crimes. She wanted to be more specific on what _not_ to steal, but was unsure how well that would play out. It was annoying, having to be careful.

And how useless was she in all this? Knowing all there was to know about the story, and yet there was no role for her to take. All the slots were filled in the play, and she was left to the background helping with lighting and curtain pulling. She'd had a small victory earlier today in changing a small event, but she couldn't see how that would change anything substantial.

There was a good thing about the prophecy though that she hadn't realized before. Her sister didn't _need_ to die, as it was never stated she would. She just needed to get lost in the desert. Unless the land without rain meant the Underworld. Gods she sure as hell hoped not.

Nico was trying to sleep in the sleeping bag on the floor next to her, but he didn't seem to be having anymore luck than she did. There were empty beds since it was during the school year and most of the camp was empty anyways, but she hadn't wanted to sleep in the Hermes cabin beds. The floor wasn't comfortable, but it was better than feeling strange about sleeping in some strangers place.

Just outside her ears perked at the voices of her sister and Zoë. This was when Nico would get out of bed to follow them, and later he'd make Percy promise to keep her safe.

When Nico started to slip from his sleeping bag she decided she'd let happen whatever would.

Maybe even then she recognized the futility in warnings.


End file.
